US Air Force Medics Train for Drone Attacks in Michigan

The United States Air Force and National Guard medics conducted a simulated drone attack exercise during the Northern Strike event in Michigan to adapt field care operations to modern aerial threats. Drawing on lessons from the conflict in Ukraine, medical personnel practiced deploying anti-drone netting, using small-arms fire to counter uncrewed aircraft, and utilizing uncrewed ground robots for hazardous inspections.

The training focused on transitioning patients to underground medical facilities to reduce the vulnerability of tents and unprotected sites. This strategy marks a departure from evacuation models used during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the military prepares for adversaries capable of using massed drone stockpiles to target medical infrastructure and supply routes.

Air Force medical planner Sarah Blackthorne developed the drone stress inoculation event to ensure medical Airmen are not experiencing UAVs for the first time during deployment. Air Force Surgeon General John DeGoes oversaw the training, emphasizing the need to update techniques and mental readiness as the threat environment changes.